ASSAB, Ethiopia -- Anarchy reigns in the crowded and sometimes not so friendly skies that flight crews have dubbed 'Ethiopia's flying circus.'
Performers in the flying circus -- the crews taking part in an international airlift of food for Ethiopia's 8 million famine victims - seem to have been supplied by Hollywood Central Casting.
The Americans are laid back, seat-of-the-pants type fliers who munch crackers and chocolate chip cookies on their missions of mercy. They are mostly former military fliers employed by Transamerica, a charter airline, and this is just another assignment involving less than ideal flying and working conditions.
The British Royal Air Force 'aviators,' as they like to be called, sport fabulous mustaches and sip tea; there is always a jerrycan of tea listed on their cargo lists.
The West Germans, most of them blond men in orange flight suits, have earned a reputation as the most efficient fliers.
The Soviets are not as well regarded. 'Ivan,' as Western crews call all Soviet pilots, is a humorless fellow who tends to run his plane off the runway and confuses everyone by misreporting his position.
In fact, skeletons of Soviet Antonov 12s, a version of the Hercules C130 flown by most Western crews, litter most runways at bush airports where emergency supplies are delivered.
'To tell you the truth, mate, I thought a bent propeller was a standard feature on those planes, we see so many of them,' joked British crewman Tony Evans.
For the 26 planes delivering up to 1,000 tons per day to relief centers in 'the world's hungriest country,' there is virtually no air traffic control and plenty of confusion.
Just how confused became clear recently aboard a TransAmerican Airlines plane chartered by the U.S. government.
The radio in the cockpit crackled to life as flight 'Tango Victor 18' made its final approach into Assab, a Red Sea port town. It was a Russian pilot announcing he was at 1,300 feet -- the same as 'Tango Victor 18' -- on his final approach.
The Russian was asked to confirm.
'Confirming 1,600 feet,' he droned.
Hoping to avoid a fatal collision, the American crewmen craned their necks but could not find 'Ivan' -- at 1,300 feet or 1,600 feet.
'I don't think he quite knows where he is,' said American pilot Paul Swanson. 'Let's hope nobody hits him. Especially us.'
The Soviets use military rather than civilian crews. Not all Soviet military pilots are taught English, the international air control language.
Seconds after the Soviet crisis ended, a West German twin-engine Transal came dangerously close to 'Tango Victor 18.'
In a brief radio exchange, the German pilot confirmed the exact distance between the two aircraft -- almost to the inch -- and insisted there was never any danger. The Americans, however, shook their heads.
Touching down on the sand runway of Assab, where the bulk of international food supplies arrive by sea prior to distribution, a man wielding two sticks directed TV18 onto its patch of sand to be loaded.
Nearby, a Soviet crew loaded bags of grain onto their aircraft. In many cases, locals are barred from boarding Soviet aircraft for security reasons.
Soon after t-he American plane landed, it was mobbed by a dozen loaders -- all barefoot and wearing green baseball caps bearing the TransAm logo. In 30 minutes 20 tons of food was loaded.
'Those guys really hustle for you if you talk to them,' said flight engineer Roger Rashok.
On a nearby sand pad, a British crew helped the locals load a Hercules. The British, considered the most competitive of the lot, like to time their loading and unloadings. They loaded 10 tons in about 15 minutes and then broke for tea.
Nearby, a West German crew meticulously checked the landing gear and engines as their aircraft's loadmaster set up an orderly system for loaders to enter and leave the plane. This avoided the pushing and shoving that characterized the British and American loading efforts.
A wave from the German crew to the Soviets, still toiling 45 minutes later, was ignored.
'They have no sense of humor,' a German crew member said.
The rivalry among the Western crews is mostly friendly, but sometimes serious differences develop.
Recently, the Americans refused to talk to British crews for a day after a near miss on the runway at Mekele, 320 miles north of Addis Ababa. Crews from all countries involved have reported near misses.
Although their styles differ, the crews share the same goal -- to deliver the most food to the most people in the least time. The effort has drastically reduced the number of deaths at relief centers.
Fliers have become so absorbed in their task that one British crew recently spent its day off flying to Mekele to see first hand how the food was being distributed at a relief camp.
One crewman, TransAmerican flight mechanic Manny Aquino of New York, even asked to have his posting extended.
'This is not just a commercial job,' Aquino said. 'I mean, this is real different. We are doing some good.'
